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The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Research

Paper

Matt Ellis
Updated on

June 2, 2022
STUDENTS

Few things strike more fear in academics than the accursed research paper, a term
synonymous with long hours and hard work. Luckily there’s a secret to help you get
through them. As long as you know how to write a research paper properly, you’ll find
they’re not so bad . . . or at least less painful. 

In this guide we concisely explain how to write an academic research paper step by
step. We’ll cover areas like how to start a research paper, how to write a research
paper outline, how to use citations and evidence, and how to write a conclusion for a
research paper. 

But before we get into the details, let’s take a look at what a research paper is and
how it’s different from other writing. 

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What is a research paper?

A research paper is a type of academic writing that provides an in-depth analysis,

evaluation, or interpretation of a single topic, based on empirical evidence. Research
papers are similar to analytical essays, except that research papers emphasize the
use of statistical data and preexisting research, along with a strict code for
citations. 

Research papers are a bedrock of modern science and the most effective way to
share information across a wide network. However, most people are familiar with
research papers from school; college courses often use them to test a student’s
knowledge of a particular area or their research skills in general. 

Considering their gravity, research papers favor formal, even bland language that
strips the writing of any bias. Researchers state their findings plainly and with
corresponding evidence so that other researchers can consequently use the paper in
their own research. 

Keep in mind that writing a research paper is different from writing a research

proposal. Essentially, research proposals are to acquire the funding needed to get
the data to write a research paper. 

How long should a research paper be? 

The length of a research paper depends on the topic or assignment. Typically,

research papers run around 4,000–6,000 words, but it’s common to see short papers
around 2,000 words or long papers over 10,000 words. 

If you’re writing a paper for school, the recommended length should be provided in
the assignment. Otherwise, let your topic dictate the length: Complicated topics or
extensive research will require more explanation. 

How to write a research paper in 9 steps

Below is a step-by-step guide to writing a research paper, catered specifically for

students rather than professional researchers. While some steps may not apply to
your particular assignment, think of this as more of a general guideline to keep you
on track. 

1
Understand the assignment

For some of you this goes without saying, but you might be surprised at how many
students start a research paper without even reading the assignment guidelines. 

So your first step should be to review the assignment and carefully read the writing
prompt. Specifically, look for technical requirements such as length, formatting
requirements (single- vs. double-spacing, indentations, etc.) and citation style. Also
pay attention to the particulars, such as whether or not you need to write an abstract
or include a cover page. 

Once you understand the assignment, the next steps in how to write a research
paper follow the usual writing process, more or less. There are some extra steps
involved because research papers have extra rules, but the gist of the writing
process is the same. 

2
Choose your topic

In open-ended assignments, the student must choose their own topic. While it may
seem simple enough, choosing a topic is actually the most important decision you’ll
make in writing a research paper, since it determines everything that follows. 

Your top priority in how to choose a research paper topic is whether it will provide
enough content and substance for an entire research paper. You’ll want to choose a
topic with enough data and complexity to enable a rich discussion. However, you also
want to avoid general topics and instead stick with topics specific enough that you
can cover all the relevant information without cutting too much.  

Try not to be robotic about choosing your topic, though; it’s still best to pick
something that you’re personally interested in. Ideally, you’ll find a topic that
satisfies both requirements, something that provides a suitable amount of content
and also keeps you engaged. 

3
Gather preliminary research

The sooner you start researching, the better—after all, it’s called a research paper
for a reason.

To refine your topic and prepare your thesis statement, find out what research is
available for your topic as soon as possible. Early research can help dispel any
misconceptions you have about the topic and reveal the best paths and approaches
to find more material. 

Typically, you can find sources either online or in a library. If you’re searching online,
make sure you use credible sources like science journals or academic papers. Some
search engines—mentioned below in the Tools and resources section—allow you to
browse only accredited sources and academic databases. 

Keep in mind the difference between primary and secondary sources as you search.
Primary sources are firsthand accounts, like published articles or autobiographies;
secondary sources are more removed, like critical reviews or secondhand
biographies. 

When gathering your research, it’s better to skim sources instead of reading each
potential source fully. If a source seems useful, set it aside to give it a full read later.
Otherwise, you’ll be stuck poring over sources that you ultimately won’t use, and that
time could be better spent finding a worthwhile source. 

Sometimes you’re required to submit a literature review, which explains your sources
and presents them to an authority for confirmation. Even if no literature review is
required, it’s still helpful to compile an early list of potential sources—you’ll be glad
you did later.  
 4
Write a thesis statement

Using what you found in your preliminary research, write a thesis statement that
succinctly summarizes what your research paper will be about. This is usually the
first sentence in your paper, making it your reader’s introduction to the topic. 

A thesis statement is the best answer for how to start a research paper. Aside from
preparing your reader, the thesis statement also makes it easier for other
researchers to assess whether or not your paper is useful to them for their own
research. Likewise, you should read the thesis statements of other research papers
to decide how useful they are to you. 

A good thesis statement mentions all the important parts of the discussion without
disclosing too many of the details. If you’re having trouble putting it into words, try to
phrase your topic as a question and then answer it. 

For example, if your research paper topic is about separating students with ADHD
from other students, you’d first ask yourself, “Does separating students with ADHD
improve their learning?” The answer—based on your preliminary research—is a good
basis for your thesis statement. 

5
Determine supporting evidence

At this stage of how to write an academic research paper, it’s time to knuckle down
and do the actual research. Here’s when you go through all the sources you collected
earlier and find the specific information you’d like to use in your paper. 

Normally, you find your supporting evidence by reading each source and taking notes.
Isolate only the information that’s directly relevant to your topic; don’t bog down your
paper with tangents or unnecessary context, however interesting they may be. And
always write down page numbers, not only for you to find the information later, but
also because you’ll need them for your citations. 

Aside from highlighting text and writing notes, another common tactic is to use
bibliography cards. These are simple index cards with a fact or direct quotation on
one side and the bibliographical information (source citation, page numbers,
subtopic category) on the other. While bibliography cards are not necessary, some
students find them useful for staying organized, especially when it’s time to write an
outline. 

6
Write a research paper outline

A lot of students want to know how to write a research paper outline. More than
informal essays, research papers require a methodical and systematic structure to
make sure all issues are addressed, and that makes outlines especially important. 

First make a list of all the important categories and subtopics you need to cover—an
outline for your outline! Consider all the information you gathered when compiling
your supporting evidence and ask yourself what the best way to separate and
categorize everything is. 

Once you have a list of what you want to talk about, consider the best order to
present the information. Which subtopics are related and should go next to each
other? Are there any subtopics that don’t make sense if they’re presented out of
sequence? If your information is fairly straightforward, feel free to take a
chronological approach and present the information in the order it happened. 

Because research papers can get complicated, consider breaking your outline into
paragraphs. For starters, this helps you stay organized if you have a lot of
information to cover. Moreover, it gives you greater control over the flow and direction
of the research paper. It’s always better to fix structural problems in the outline
phase than later after everything’s already been written. 

Don’t forget to include your supporting evidence in the outline as well. Chances are
you’ll have a lot you want to include, so putting it in your outline helps prevent some
things from falling through the cracks. 

7
Write the first draft

Once your outline is finished, it’s time to start actually writing your research paper.
This is by far the longest and most involved step, but if you’ve properly prepared your
sources and written a thorough outline, everything should run smoothly. 

If you don’t know how to write an introduction for a research paper, the beginning can
be difficult. That’s why writing your thesis statement beforehand is crucial. Open
with your thesis statement and then fill out the rest of your introduction with the
secondary information—save the details for the body of your research paper, which
comes next. 

The body contains the bulk of your research paper. Unlike essays, research papers
usually divide the body into sections with separate headers to facilitate browsing
and scanning. Use the divisions in your outline as a guide. 

Follow along your outline and go paragraph by paragraph. Because this is just the
first draft, don’t worry about getting each word perfect. Later you’ll be able to revise
and fine-tune your writing, but for now focus simply on saying everything that needs
to be said. In other words, it’s OK to make mistakes since you’ll go back later to
correct them. 

One of the most common problems with writing long works like research papers is
connecting paragraphs to each other. The longer your writing is, the harder it is to tie
everything together smoothly. Use transition sentences to improve the flow of your
paper, especially for the first and last sentences in a paragraph. 

Even after the body is written, you still need to know how to write a conclusion for a
research paper. Just like an essay conclusion, your research paper conclusion should
restate your thesis, reiterate your main evidence, and summarize your findings in a
way that’s easy to understand. 

Don’t add any new information in your conclusion, but feel free to say your own
personal perspective or interpretation if it helps the reader understand the big
picture. 

8
Cite your sources correctly

Citations are part of what sets research papers apart from more casual nonfiction
like personal essays. Citing your sources both validates your data and also links your
research paper to the greater scientific community. Because of their importance,
citations must follow precise formatting rules . . . problem is, there’s more than one
set of rules!

You need to check with the assignment to see which formatting style is required.
Typically, academic research papers follow one of two formatting styles for citing
sources:

MLA (Modern Language Association)

APA (American Psychological Association)

The links above explain the specific formatting guidelines for each style, along with
an automatic citation generator to help you get started. 

In addition to MLA and APA styles, you occasionally see requirements for CMOS (The
Chicago Manual of Style), AMA (American Medical Association) and IEEE (Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers). 

Citations may seem confusing at first with all their rules and specific information.
However, once you get the hang of them, you’ll be able to properly cite your sources
without even thinking about it. Keep in mind that each formatting style has specific
guidelines for citing just about any kind of source, including photos, websites,
speeches, and YouTube videos.

9
Edit and proofread

Last but not least, you want to go through your research paper to correct all the
mistakes by proofreading. We recommend going over it twice: once for structural
issues such as adding/deleting parts or rearranging paragraphs and once for word
choice, grammatical, and spelling mistakes. Doing two different editing sessions
helps you focus on one area at a time instead of doing them both at once. 

To help you catch everything, here’s a quick checklist to keep in mind while you edit:

Structural edit:

Is your thesis statement clear and concise?

 Is your paper well-organized, and does it flow from beginning to end with logical
transitions?

Do your ideas follow a logical sequence in each paragraph?

Have you used concrete details and facts and avoided generalizations?

Do your arguments support and prove your thesis?

Have you avoided repetition?

Are your sources properly cited?

Have you checked for accidental plagiarism?

Word choice, grammar, and spelling edit:

Is your language clear and specific?

Do your sentences flow smoothly and clearly? 

Have you avoided filler words and phrases?

Have you checked for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation? 

Some people find it useful to read their paper out loud to catch problems they might
miss when reading in their head. Another solution is to have someone else read your
paper and point out areas for improvement and/or technical mistakes. 

Revising is a separate skill from writing, and being good at one doesn’t necessarily
make you good at the other. If you want to improve your revision skills, read our guide
on self-editing, which includes a more complete checklist and advanced tips on
improving your revisions. 

Technical issues like grammatical mistakes and misspelled words can be handled
effortlessly if you use a spellchecker with your word processor, or even better, a
digital writing assistant that also suggests improvements for word choice and tone,
like Grammarly (we explain more in the Tools and resources section below). 

Tools and resources

If you want to know more about how to write a research paper, or if you want some
help with each step, take a look at the tools and resources below. 

Google Scholar

This is Google’s own search engine, which is dedicated exclusively to academic

papers. It’s a great way to find new research and sources. Plus, it’s free to use. 

Zotero
Zotero is a freemium, open-source research manager, a cross between an
organizational CMS and a search engine for academic research. With it, you can
browse the internet for research sources relevant to your topic and share them easily
with colleagues. Also, it automatically generates citations. 

FocusWriter

Writing long research papers is always a strain on your attention span. If you have
trouble avoiding distractions during those long stretches, FocusWriter might be able
to help. FocusWriter is a minimalist word processor that removes all the distracting
icons and sticks only to what you type. You’re also free to choose your own
customized backgrounds, with other special features like timed alarms, daily goals,
and optional typewriter sound effects. 

Google Charts

This useful and free tool from Google lets you create simple charts and graphs based
on whatever data you input. Charts and graphs are excellent visual aids for
expressing numeric data, a perfect complement if you need to explain complicated
evidential research. 

Grammarly 

Grammarly goes way beyond grammar, helping you hone word choice, checking your
text for plagiarism, detecting your tone, and more. For foreign-language learners, it
can make your English sound more fluent, and even those who speak English as their
primary language benefit from Grammarly’s suggestions. 

Research paper FAQs

What is a research paper?

A research paper is a piece of academic writing that analyzes, evaluates, or

interprets a single topic with empirical evidence and statistical data. 

When will I need to write a research paper in college?

Many college courses use research papers to test a student’s knowledge of a

particular topic or their research skills in general. While research papers depend on
the course or professor, you can expect to write at least a few before graduation. 

How do I determine a topic for my research paper?

If the topic is not assigned, try to find a topic that’s general enough to provide ample
evidence but specific enough that you’re able to cover all the basics. If possible,
choose a topic you’re personally interested in—it makes the work easier. 

Where can I conduct research for my paper?

 Today most research is conducted either online or in libraries. Some topics might
benefit from old periodicals like newspapers or magazines, as well as visual media
like documentaries. Museums, parks, and historical monuments can also be useful. 

How do I cite sources for a research paper?

The correct formatting for citations depends on which style you’re using, so check
the assignment guidelines. Most school research reports use either MLA or APA
styles, although there are others. 

This article was originally written by Karen Hertzberg in 2017. It’s been updated to
include new information.

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